Shillong: Construction at the Umling wayside amenities project stopped two months ago. The site sits silent. Ri-Bhoi Deputy Commissioner Abhishek Saini confirmed that all laborers cleared out, leaving the project in a state of total neglect.
The Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) North Khasi Hills district unit is blocking progress. They refuse to budge until the government guarantees the facility will function primarily as a security checkpoint under the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act. The union demands the site serve to regulate state entry and intercept illegal activities like drug trafficking.
State officials argue the project serves tourism needs, housing food courts and facilitation centers. The KSU rejects these commercial additions entirely. The KSU stated, "It will not allow work to resume until the government guarantees the facility will function primarily as a security checkpoint."
District administration and Tourism department leaders held multiple meetings to break the impasse. No agreement exists. The infrastructure remains abandoned while the bureaucratic tug-of-war continues without an update.
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